An aspect of this invention generally relates to data processing devices and more particularly to performing biometric authentication within a data processing device.
Data processing devices such as smart phones and personal computing systems often rely on battery power to enable mobile operation. The computing capabilities of the processors in battery operated devices may be managed in an effort to extend battery life and maintain appropriate performance levels. Many battery operated devices include biometric readers to increase security for access to the device. In general, biometric security systems allow a user to gain access if biometric information submitted by the user is authenticated by the device. A typical authentication process relies on matching the biometric information submitted by the user with a previously established and stored template, which is a data representation of a source biometric sample. Authentication algorithms may include complex computations that require higher levels of processor capabilities to minimize latency issues. Providing a responsive biometric security system on a mobile data processing device may be dependent on effective management of processor performance.
The security features of biometric authentication systems may also depend on the integrity of the software and hardware components within a data processing device. A corrupted operating system, or authentication algorithm, may allow malicious code (e.g., malware) to execute on a data processing device. Such malicious code may circumvent the authentication process and provide unauthorized access to a user's personal or confidential information. The introduction of malicious code into the data processing device may also create complications in the biometric measurement and template storing processes. Further, false or spoofed biometric inputs may be used to attack a trusted biometric system. A falsified biometric trait, such as a fake finger comprised of wax, clay, gummy bears, etc., may be presented to a biometric scanner in an effort to by-pass security restrictions. Authentication algorithms may include anti-spoofing techniques to help distinguish between live and spoofed biometric traits.